Professional Photographer to the Rescue: interior photography tips for ideal homes

Meet our professional photographer

London-based photographer Max Attenborough, 33, trained as a fine-art painter before turning his attention to photography. He went pro three years ago, but has already built up an impressive client list that includes John Lewis and Waitrose. He specialises in still-life photography, and likes to work with natural light wherever possible. To see more of his work, visit Max’s website.

Meet our apprentice

Julie Stevens is an interior designer based in Kent. She has been interested in photography for as long as she can remember, and confesses to using her DSLR like a point-and-shoot, and came to us for advice on how to shoot better lifestyle and interior photography for her work.

Technique Assessment

Before Julie got started, Max cast his eye over her camera settings and made a few suggestions as to how she could take more control of her shots

Take more control
“Julie was shooting in Auto mode,” says Max, “but being able to set your aperture manually is essential. With a tripod you don’t have to worry about camera shake at slow shutter speeds, so you can set ISO to 100 for grain-free shots and then select an aperture based on how much depth of field you’re after.”

Shoot in raw format
“Julie’s camera was set up to take medium-res JPEGS,” explains Max, “but even high-res JPEGS don’t offer sufficient detail. Raw format files allow you to fine-tune exposure without introducing artefacts, and when you’re having to balance lots of light sources, white balance is easier to adjust in raw too.”